Teaching Vocabulary Words in Context Using Exemplary Nonfiction Texts

BY ALLY HAUPTMAN

Why do we teach vocabulary? At its core increasing a student’s vocabulary gives that student power. The power to express ideas, opinions, and feelings. The power to find the right words to persuade, inform, or to bring joy to readers. The power to build knowledge and understand complex concepts across disciplines. 

To effectively teach vocabulary and empower our students, teachers must provide rich and varied language experiences, learning experiences that connect words within a context, and opportunities to develop word consciousness (Allen, 2014).  Students need opportunities to read, write, and talk in authentic ways. Teachers can model how to use words in context, and immerse students in the language of different disciplines.  We need to show students how powerful words are in helping us communicate our ideas.  We have to show them how to become “word collectors.”  We need to teach vocabulary within context, and intentionally put students in situations where they make connections between words and concepts.

One of the most effective ways for students to make connections and construct meaning is to make sure new vocabulary is presented within a meaningful context. This is where excellent children’s literature comes into play. There are so many brilliantly written non-fiction picture books that can be used to teach vocabulary within a context. With students, I refer to these non-fiction books that are accessible to young readers and use text features in interesting ways, as jazzy non-fiction. Students are drawn to these texts because they make the subject fascinating for readers.

One author whose jazzy nonfiction I often use is Jess Keating. She is an author, artist, and zoologist who creates texts that spark curiosity about animals and women in science. In her World of Weird Animals series, she uses photographs, cartoons, and text features in unique and engaging ways. This is what makes her books so appealing to young readers, but as a teacher I am drawn to the complex vocabulary she uses in her writing. Jess Keating books can be used as mentor texts for writing, sparking a myriad of writing possibilities for students as they begin to see creative ways to write nonfiction. Jess Keating books are perfect for modeling a rich array of metacognitive comprehension strategies like determining importance. Jess Keating books are the best for teaching science concepts and related vocabulary within an authentic context. 

Cute As an Axolotl: Discovering the World’s Most Adorable Animals

In this text, Jess Keating and David DeGrand present a combination of stunning animal photographs, cartoon animals, and text features that invite readers to learn about some seriously cute creatures. For each animal, Keating lists facts like species name, size, diet, habitat, predators and threats. She also tells the reader strange, interesting facts that leave you wanting to do more research on these adorable creatures.

Learning Experience Using Cute As an Axolotl
Sorting and Reading to Place Vocabulary Within a Context
(Johns & Bergland, 2002)

• On the first two pages of the book, Keating uses the words axolotl, aquatic, regeneration, predator, gills, species name, habitat, traits, features. Print these words and ask students to cut out each, so they are able to manipulate the words in an open sort. 
• Students take a pencil and lightly mark how they would rank their knowledge of each word. Asking students to rank their knowledge of the word is an easy way to activate prior knowledge.
• Ask students to complete an open sort.  They can sort the word cards in any way that makes sense to them. I have seen students sort alphabetically and by number of syllables in a word during their first sort. Many students sort the words by words they know or have never heard. Other students begin sorting by their conception of how the words are related. There are no wrong answers!
• Students turn and talk with a partner to explain their sorts. This is where the magic happens! Students are sharing ideas about each word and learning from each other. I often see students re-sorting words during their conversations with partners as they refine their thinking together. The more they interact with words and have to make decisions about them, the words become closer to being “owned” than “rented” (Gillis, 2014). 
• Ask students to justify their sort in writing in their notebook. This makes thinking visible and gives the teacher a quick check of their current knowledge of the vocabulary. 
• Place the vocabulary within the context of a Jess Keating book! Read the first page of Cute As an Axolotl.  After reading, quickly discuss each word that was on their cards that appeared in the text.   
• Re-sort based on what students now know about the words after hearing them within the context of Cute As an Axolotl.  Explain the sort to a partner and then write the justification for their resort in their notebooks.

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More Jess Keating Books to Consider

The World of Weird Animals Series (illustrated by David DeGrand)

• Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals
• What Makes a Monster?: Discovering the World’s Scariest Creature
• Gross as a Snot Otter: Discovering the World’s Most Disgusting Animals

 
Other Books

• Eat Your Rocks, Croc!: Dr. Glider’s Advice for Troubled Animals, illustrated by Pete Oswald
• Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest Secret, illustrated by Katie Hickey
• Shark Lady: The True Story of how Eugenie Clark Become the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguėns
  
  

References

Allen, J. (2014). Tools for teaching academic vocabulary. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Berglund, R. & Johns, J. (2002). Strategies for content area learning: Vocabulary, comprehension, and
      response. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt. 

Gillis, V. (2014). Talking the talk: Vocabulary instruction across the disciplines (or what to do instead).
       Journal of Adolescent and Adult Learning, 58(4), 281-287.

Ally Hauptman is a CLA Board Member and is the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. She is an associate professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.